One member of Auburn’s 2016 recruiting class, Tashawn Manning, has already been diagnosed with a form of cancer. Unbelievably, a second member of that class is waging a similar battle.
Tuesday, head coach Gus Malzahn confirmed that Brodarious Hamm has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In an interview with 247Sports.com, the 2016 signee said he initially went to see a doctor a couple of weeks ago for what he described as a knot behind one of his ears; a biopsy subsequently confirmed that the knot was cancer.
Hamm began chemotherapy a week ago.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” Malzahn said. “He’s a fine young man with a fine family. He has a great attitude... We’re going to be there for him. He’s going to get through this and we expect him to be with us after a short period of time after he gets healthy.”
It’s unknown when Hamm will be able to take the field with his new teammates, although the offensive lineman’s expected to enroll at Auburn in May or, at the latest, August.
“At first, I was scared,” Hamm told the recruiting website. “But I talked with the doctor and he said I’d be alright. He was just like, ‘This is nothing to worry about. Believe in the treatment and believe in God and everything will be alright.’”
Hamm was rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, with the same recruiting service listing him as the No. 38 offensive tackle in the country. In addition to Auburn, Georgia native had received offers from, among others, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State and Tennessee.
Manning, meanwhile, was diagnosed this past November with acute promyelocytic leukemia. As is the case with Hamm, it’s unknown when Manning will suit up for the Tigers, although the defensive tackle still hopes to enroll at Auburn next year.
